Bayern Star Tah: Why the Second World Cup Match Is Special to Him | OneFootball

The German national team will play its second match at the 2026 World Cup today, Saturday. Their opponent is the Ivory Coast, and several Bayern stars will be in the lineup again. For one of them, it’s a special game. 

That player is Jonathan Tah. The defender, who transferred from Leverkusen to Munich in 2025 and had a strong season, explained at the DFB press conference why that is the case.

Tah, who was born in Hamburg, actually has roots in Ivory Coast. His father is from there. “It’s going to be a special game for me against Ivory Coast. I’m really looking forward to it,” said Tah. 

Tah warns against the Ivorians

The Bayern player is therefore particularly motivated ahead of this second match for the German national team following the 7-1 victory over Curaçao. But it’s not just on a personal level—the defensive star also expects a very challenging match from a purely sporting perspective.

This is especially true because of Yan Diomande, the young attacking player from RB Leipzig. “Diomande is an outstanding player with an incredible amount of talent and potential,” said Tah. “He’s still young, has had a great season, and is a very tough opponent.”

Photo: Getty Images

So Tah will have significantly more work to do than he did in the Curaçao game. He’ll need to bring his leadership role in the defense to the field accordingly. The Bayern player recently received praise from Antonio Rüdiger, who called him the new leader in the backline.

„It’s always nice to receive words of praise,“ Tah said. He added, „But when they come from Toni, it’s even more special. When you look at everything he’s already achieved in his career—including winning the Champions League twice—it honors me even more. And even when I wasn’t playing, he always pushed me and told me: ‘Believe in yourself—your time will come.’”